Leather seats: how do you take care of them?

[diverscale]

As this is my first vehicle with leather seatings, I would like to ask you all how do you take care of yours. At the same time, this could help spread good information on the subject.

Do you:

- use a leather seat treatment/conditionner/protection product
- use only soap and lukewarm water as the manual states
- anything else?

Just to share my experience:

I just tried the leather treatment/conditionner solution (meguiar Rich Leather), because right in the back of the bottle it wrote that it is not greasy. Well, after the application, my front seats look like I have just applied a coat of Armor-All all over them. Sure, the texture is not greasy, but it looks the same, probably a kind of silicone.

Sure, it might protect the seats, but do they Really need protection? I pretty much liked the look of the "dry" seats prior to the application better than now.

So what do you all do/think?

 

[rebelbowtie]

I have owned 4 vehicles with "leather" seats including real leather seats in my Audi and I almost exclusively use warm water and a rag to clean them. I am sure some people that are obsessive about detailing use some chemicals or conditioners but I've never had a problem.

 

[brockeverly]

White rag and mild soap for me.

 

[JohnnyT]

This stuff is phenomenal....

Leatherique Prestine Clean - 16 oz | Free Shipping Available - Detailed Image

 

[RubiconSS]

Always used "Saddle Soap" (BMW's, Porsches, Supras) always seemed to work great.
Clean, supple NO greasey shiney feel. Buff them afterwards with a microfiber good to go.
Will do the same with my LE.

 

[KCcarguy]

This stuff is phenomenal....

Leatherique Prestine Clean - 16 oz | Free Shipping Available - Detailed Image

You're absolutely right. This stuff is great for high-grade leather. But it's probably overkill for Toyota "leather trimmed" seats. I like Lexol cleaner and conditioner for the 4runner.

 

[diverscale]

ok, as I can see, you pretty much all agree on soap+water.

Now, I would like to go this route, but I guess that my front seats are now ''contaminated'' by the product I applied. I'll see if there is a soft way of removing the silicone, or wathever it is, and give it it's original look.

I might also try the above stated product, as I tried the optimum no rinse that someone suggested here, and man that product is A1!

So thanks for the suggestions, and let's bring more

 

[Stifler]

meguires leather care

 

[thejuice]

I've studied up a bit on leather restoration and leather working. Here's my 2 cents:

• 
  There's no consensus on which cleaners or lubricants (dressings) to use. Search academia, i.e., museum leather restoration, books, and forums and you'll find everybody's personal preference, but not much scientific reasoning for why one is better than the next. Some studies on lubricants indicate there's no difference between treated leather and nontreated leather in preventing deteroration.

• 
  Leather will eventually dry out and crack, especially leather exposed to sun and heat. Even if dressing it doesn't do anything, it makes me feel better.

• 
  The first step to cleaning should be to get the dirt out of the creases or stitching. Try using a vacuum with a brush attachment to pull the dirt out, or take a shop vac and use a horse-hair brush to brush the junk out of the stitching.

• 
  To clean, use a super mild detergent. Dish soap will pull the natural oils out. Some professional leather restorers use a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and water for very dirty leather. The reasoning is it dries fast, but still gets the leather wet enough to loosen debris.

• 
  The goal of cleaning is to loosen debris from getting forced into the grain of the leather. After working the leather with a warm, damp cloth, dry it quickly. Water soaked too deep into the leather (water logged) will make it stiff.

• 
  After all the cleaners and soaps I have tried, I found saddle soap to be the best (for most leathers). A tin lasts forever and is pretty cheap. A damp, warm towel with a little saddle soap worked into a lather is good for removing light stains and dirt. Disclaimer: Saddle soap is designed for vegetable tanned leather, like saddles, and can take the alkalinity out of chrome tanned leather, which is most likely what the Toyota seats are stitched with. I still use it, but might find that my seats will crack 5 years.

• 
  I have tried all sorts of "off the shelf" cleaners, like Lexol and Meguiar's. In my opinion, they are just expensive branding of mild detergents. Professional shops use no-name cleaners sold by the drum.

• 
  If you have tan colored seats, and you have a mark from something ink or paint, you're basically SOL. Trying to get rid of the mark by rubbing the leather, especially with finer leathers, will just rub through the top layers of the leather and ultimately discolor that spot. I'm guessing Toyota leather isn't top notch, fully tanned stuff, so you might just end up with a blue mark from too much rubbing. A mark from ink can be painted over, but after a few painting and re-dying projects, I haven't found a product that lasts more than a couple years.

• 
  For lubrication, there's a wide range of products like neatsfoot oil, mink oil, beeswax, lanolin, glycerol, conditioners, sealants, polishes, synthetics, alchemy, expensive perfumed over-marketed junk - just a matter of how much you want to spend to feel good about something that won't last forever anyway. Just stay away from anything that has silicone in it, or sticky dressings like neatsfoot or mink oil.

• 
  I have yet to find a logical explanation for why one lubricant is better than the rest.

• 
  I used to LOVE lexol, but lately I find it stays too "sticky", and attracts dirt.

• 
  The goal with dressing leather is to find a nice balance between keeping the leather pliable but not sticky or greasy. Too much of any lubricant will attract dirt to stick to the seat, and then the dirt gets forced into the leather and causes premature wear.

• 
  Lately I have been using Chamberlain Leather Milk. Who knows if it's any better than the rest. It seems to be less sticky than Lexol conditioner, but more expensive. Give lexol a try and see if it works for you.

 

[ant-ny]

this may sound really stupid and some of you may think "WTF?", but many years ago when i bought a really nice leather couch and loveseat, the salesman told me to simply use a lemon furniture polish, like pledge. i have had good results with it. keeps it soft and clean, and does not make it real slippery or "wet". i use it on my leather furniture, car seats, and a really expensive leather coat i have for work. i only use it about once every few months. my leather still looks pretty much brand new.

 

[RubiconSS]

this may sound really stupid and some of you may think "WTF?", but many years ago when i bought a really nice leather couch and loveseat, the salesman told me to simply use a lemon furniture polish, like pledge. i have had good results with it. keeps it soft and clean, and does not make it real slippery or "wet". i use it on my leather furniture, car seats, and a really expensive leather coat i have for work. i only use it about once every few months. my leather still looks pretty much brand new.

I remember those days, can't argue with success. Like most "Skin" the challenge is keeping "In" the oils and moisture already there. Assuming our seats are Dead (like our Hair) you Can Not treat the dead, just maintain the status quo.
But hey, Hair Care products are a 2 Billion Dollar a year exercise in Mental Masturbation for the American Female (and Male) I say, Knock yourselves out.
No really, Knock yourselves out - SpeedBumps ! (with Nice Hair)

 

[diverscale]

this may sound really stupid and some of you may think "WTF?", but many years ago when i bought a really nice leather couch and loveseat, the salesman told me to simply use a lemon furniture polish, like pledge. i have had good results with it. keeps it soft and clean, and does not make it real slippery or "wet". i use it on my leather furniture, car seats, and a really expensive leather coat i have for work. i only use it about once every few months. my leather still looks pretty much brand new.

When I used the Meguiar product above mentioned, it gave the exact same feel you get when you have just treated your furniture with pledge...

An update on my seatings: I have juste used warm water/dry cloth on them, and the final result is far better. No more glossy look, but you can feel the protection still on the seats. Still, it is not as "matte" as the seats I left alone in the back, but very acceptable.

 

[Stifler]

I dont go to crazy with this toyota OEM "leather" I have a feeling I will be recovering them in the future as it just feels very cheap

 

[Greg_Canada]

I use obenauf heavy LP boot oil.... for old leather...
It's slick like armorall the first day, but i let it soak in and it looks like natural leather after a day or 2.

 

[diverscale]

I dont go to crazy with this toyota OEM "leather" I have a feeling I will be recovering them in the future as it just feels very cheap

problem I see with covering, here in snowland canada, is that I want the heated seats to heat my butt as fast as possible when it's -20, and adding an extra layer of clothing won't help with that.

 

[Stifler]

problem I see with covering, here in snowland canada, is that I want the heated seats to heat my butt as fast as possible when it's -20, and adding an extra layer of clothing won't help with that.

fair enough.... we dont think about those things down here in sunny Florida! lol

 

[JayceeP]

I know this is a bit old but just thought I would share my experience. I cleaned out the whole interior yesterday. All I used was 1 bucket of warm-hot water with 1 microfiber towel. I also had 1 other microfiber to dry/buff. I would soak the towel and then wring it out completely before using on the leather. I started with the seats, then did the doors, and then did all of the other hard surfaces of the interior including the inside of the windows. I am very happy with the results and will continue to do this going forward.

I should note that I vacuumed the interior first, including the seats.

 

[Stifler]

thats great for cleaning but zilch for conditioning

 

[JayceeP]

Directly from the owner's manual for those who care:
"■ Cleaning the leather areas
● Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner.
● Wipe off any excess dirt and dust with a soft cloth dampened with diluted detergent.
Use a diluted water solution of approximately 5% neutral wool deter- gent.
● Wring out any excess water from the cloth and thoroughly wipe off all remaining traces of detergent.
● Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth to remove any remain- ing moisture. Allow the leather to dry in a shaded and venti- lated area.
■ Cleaning the synthetic leather areas
● Remove loose dirt using a vacuum cleaner.
● Apply a mild soap solution to the synthetic leather using a sponge or soft cloth.
● Allow the solution to soak in for a few minutes. Remove the dirt and wipe off the solution with a clean, damp cloth"

And............

"Cleaning detergents
Do not use the following types of detergent, as they may discolor the vehicle
interior or cause streaks or damage to painted surfaces:
●Non-seat portions: Organic substances such as benzene or gasoline, alkaline or acidic solutions, dye, and bleach.
●Seats: Alkaline or acidic solutions, such as thinner, benzene, and alcohol. ■ Preventing damage to leather surfaces

Observe the following precautions to avoid damage to and deterioration of leather surfaces:
●Remove any dust or dirt from leather surfaces immediately.
●Do not expose the vehicle to direct sunlight for extended periods of time.
Park the vehicle in the shade, especially during summer.
●Do not place items made of vinyl, plastic, or containing wax on the uphol- stery, as they may stick to the leather surface if the vehicle interior heats up significantly."

 

[shaqfeet]

I'm new to the 4Runner forum having just bought a 2013 SR5 now that I live in an area where 4x4 is required. But not new to cars. I have used Lexol for almost 20 years now and swear by it. As a prior post said, the key is conditioning and lexol is the best IMHO. I've tried several products and nothing is as good (except maybe the "hide food" jaguar recommended in the pre-ford days).

I once had an old 5 series bmw with leather that was extremely hard and starting to crack. I applied a generous coating of lexol conditioner, let it sit overnight and the difference was amazing...was soft and flexible from that day forward.

When I started noticing some wear on the leather in my mercedes the lexol made it disappear and i haven't seen it since. I'm a lexol conditioner fan for life.